Two-week course for investigation, prosecution officers ends

NAB chief says training of officials has top priority, wants implementation of 2017 training plan

A two-week training for around two dozen investigation and prosecution officers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) came to an end recently at the bureau’s headquarters.

This was disclosed during a meeting a meeting to review the latest progress of Training of Trainers (TOT) plan for NAB’s investigation officers and prosecutors the at NAB headquarters, read a statement released by the anti-corruption watchdog on Monday.

During the meeting, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was told that during the two-week TOT, 18 investigation officers (IOs) and seven prosecutors from different regional bureaus of NAB were trained. After the training, a written test was also conducted.

While recapping training programmes of last year, Chaudhry was told that in 2016, four refresher courses lasting two weeks each was held for IOs and case officers (Cos) were held which was attended by 529 officers.

Moreover, two refresher courses of two weeks each were held in 2016 for prosecutors and was attended by 67 officers. Further, three Inter-regional pieces of training were conducted in 2016 lasting a week each during which 87 officers IOs and COs were trained.

It was further informed that six capacity building courses of two days each were held for officers, investigation officers and case officers in 2016. Additionally, 28 in-land training courses were availed in collaboration with foreign agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, British High Commission, Asian Development Bank, ICITAP, OPDAT and UNODC in 2016. Around 125 officers from NAB’s regional attended these training.

Chaudhry was also told that 21 training courses had been offered by the academies of other law enforcement agencies, government departments during 2016 in which 62 NAB officers participated.

Apart from training its investigation officers and prosecutors, 87 NAB administrative staff took part in 42 pieces of training offered by local training institutes such as the Secretariat Training Institute and Pakistan Manpower Institute.

The NAB chief was told that the T&R Division had devised a training programme for the year 2017 in the light of regional feedback and input of experts from other law enforcing agencies.

Chaudhry said that NAB accords top priority to training its investigation officers and prosecutors and helps add up to the overall performance of the bureau.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2017.